Tread for bicycle-pedals



(No Model.)

I. WLLITOHFIELD & T. W. SANFORD. TREAD FOR BICYCLE PEDALS;

No; 558,400. W Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC IV. LITOHFIELD AND TOWVNSEND XV. SANFORD, OF \VARVIOK, NEIV YORK.

TREAD FOR BlCYCLE-PEDALS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 558,400, dated April 14,1896.

Application filed April 11, 1894- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ISAAC W. LITOHFIELD and TOWNSEND W. SANFORD,citizens of the United States, residing at \Varwick, county of Orange,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTreads for Bicycle-Pedals, of which the following is a specification.

Light roadsters and other forms of bicycles are, as is well known,furnished with a rattrap pedal, which is a light form of pedal whosetreads are made up of two parallel plates which stand vertically to thesole of the foot of the rider and have sharpened projections on theiredges, preventing the slipping of the foot. The pedal is of very lightweight and is preferably used on the road by those who Wish to rideswiftly; but the form of the pedal is such that when the rider wishes touse it without his regular bicycleshoes injury to the shoes and to thefoot of the rider results.

Our invention is designed to afford a means of readily protecting theshoes-and foot of the rider from injury by the sharp projections of therat-trap pedal. To this end we provide treads which are readilyapplicable to and removable from the blades of the rat-trap pedal.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which'form a part of thisspecification, Figure I is a side view of a rat-trap pedal having ourimprovements applied thereto. Fig. II is a perspective view of one formof our improved detachable tread. Fig. III is an edge view of an elasticligature detached. The removable tread consists, preferably, as shown inFig. II, of two rubber or other wear surfaces 1, formed on or applied toU- Serial No. 507,193. (No inodel.)

shaped bars 2, which, with rubber, spiralspring; or other suitablespring ligatures 3, form a clamp holding the treads 1 1 in position.

The method of applying the invention to a rat-trap pedal is indicated inFig. I, where the metal blade of the pedal is shown at 4, having bothits edges protected by a removable tread of the form shown in Fig. II.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. II, to prevent longitudinalmovement of the tread by causing it to bind on the rat-trap blade wepreferably make the arm of the U support bar 2, which is engaged by thespring ligature 3 in the angular form shown in Fig. II, so that thespring-tension of the ligatures 3 will cause the angles of said bars 2to bind upon the rat-trap blade. One of the ligatures 3 is showndetached in Fig. III. Its ends are secured by riveting or sewing, withor without the addition of linen to strengthen it, to hold thetread-pieces together and into engagement with the pedal-blade.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim asnew therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A removable tread for the rat-trap blade of a bicycle-pedal consistingof two opposing U shaped bars 2, 2 having wear-treads 1,1 and elasticligatures or other springs 3, 3 arranged to connect the bars in pairswhereby they can be sprung into engagement with the rat-trap blade,substantially as set forth.

ISAAC W. LITOHFIELD. TOWNSEND W. SANFORD.

\Vitnesses MORRIS RUTHERFORD, A. M. REYNOLDS, Jr.

